Tandem shock-absorbing mechanism



'1. F. o'cormon.

TANDEM SHOCK ABSORBING MECHANISM.

Patented Oct. 19, 1920.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 3 I9l9.

BY ATToR l W I TNESSES.'

UNITED STATES PATENT oFFIcE.

f JOHN F. OCONNOR, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO WILLIAM H. MINER, yO

z GHAZY, NEW YORK.y

TANDEM SHOCK-ABSORBING MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 19,1920.

Application iletl April 3, 1919AI k'Serial No. 287,178.

, To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHNF. OCoNNoR, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new. and useful Improvement in Tandem Shock-Absorbing Mechanisms, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in tandem shock absorbing mechanisms y Asis well'known, the United States Railroad Administration has specified on all Government cars a spacing of 242- between stops for draft gears for thepurpose of accommodating friction gears nog;7 on the market. Many of the railroads, having previously adopted spring gears as standard construction, object to the use of friction gears on the standard Government cars turned over to them and consequently there is a need for spring gears which will fit within the standard spacing designated by the Railroad Administration. In this manner, railroads desiring spring gears can utilize the same in the standard spacing and Vwhen these cars so fitted go'onj'a foreign line, the spring gear can be taken down and a friction gear substituted in theV case of necessary repairs. i

The object of this invention is to provide a simple Vand unusually inexpensive gear adapted for the spacing now standardized by the Railroad-Administration and wherein two shock absorbing units, preferably springs, are operated in tandem and without the necessity of employing the usual form of tandem yoke. v

In the drawing forming a part of this specication, Figure 1 is a horizontal, longitudinal, sectional view of a portion of a railway draft rigging showing my improvements in connection therewith. ig. 2 is a vertical, transverse, sectional view taken substantially on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1. And

Fig. 3 is a detail perspective of oneof the combined follower and plunger elements employed in my invention.

In said drawing, 10-10 denote channelshaped center or draft sills to the inner faces of which are secured front stop lugs 11 and rear stop lugs 12, the same being spaced 24% in accordance with the practice hereinbefore mentioned. A portion of the draw bar is indicated at 13 and the same is operatively associated with the shock ab- A sorbing mechanism proper by means of'an ordinaryV single pocket yoke indicated at 14. Allof theparts are or may be supported by ade'tachable saddle plate as indicated at 15.

The improved shock absorbing mechanism proper, as shown, comprises two counterpart l membersk A-A and tandem arranged springs .BL-B. Each of the members A, as shown,

comprises an outer transversely extending arm '16, longitudinally,extending leg 17, an

inner transversely extending shorter arm 18 and a relatively short longitudinally yextending leg 118 on the opposite side to that of the leg 17. The two members A are counterparts as heretofore mentioned and` the 'same are assembled in opposed relation as shown in Fig. 1. In other words, the two short transversely extending arms 18-18 Vare'overlapped and the 'long leg 17 of one member A is on the opposite side of the gear to that of the leg 17 of the other member A. The arms 16 are of such length and height as to form end followers and the same nor- .mally engage vthe stop lugs.k Each ofthe transversely extending arms 18 is shorter than Vthe other arm 16 by an amount slightly in excess vof the thickness of lthe legs 17.

yThe short legs 118 are of such length that the innermost ends 2O thereof are normally spaced from thecorners 21' of the other members Aa distance equal to the permissible compressive stroke of the gear. The two springs B are inserted as shown most clearly in Fig.l 1 and as will -be evident,

upon relative approach of the two members load greater than the capacity ofthe springs since the latter Will never go solid because f of the limiting feature heretofore mentioned. Furthermore, it will befevident that the two members A may be very cheaply manufactured in the form of forgings and the entire construction is exceedingly simple, easily assembled and inserted and'affords a practical solution 'for the situation hereinbefore mentioned.

Although I have herein shown and described what I now consider the preferred manner of carrying out the invention, the same is merely illustrative and I contemplate all changes and modications that come within the scope of the claims appended hereto.

I Claim:

l. In a tandem gear, the combination with a pair otl pressure transmittingelements, each of said elements having a longitudinally extending leg, an integral inner transversely extending arm and an integral outer transversely extending arm, the arms being disposed at the ends of said leg, said elements being oppositely arranged and having the inner transversely extending arms' thereof overlapped, one behind the other, when assembled, said elements being adapted to be assembled by moving one transversely of the other with the inner arm of each element nearest the outer arm of the other respective element; or' tandem arranged shock absorbing units, each unit bearing solely on the inner transverse arm of one element and the outer transverse arm of the other element, whereby, upon relative approach of said elements, the two shock absorbing units will be simultaneously compressed.

'2. In a tandem gear, the combination with a pair of pressure transmitting elements, each of said elements having a longitudinally extending leg, an integral outer transversely extending arm and an integral inner transversely extending arm, said arms being located at the ends of said leg, said elements being oppositely arranged and having the inner transversely extending arms thereof overlapped, one behind the other, when assembled, and with the inner arm of one element nearest the outer arm of the other respective element; of tandem 1arranged shock absorbing units, each unit bearing solely on the inner transverse arm of one element and the outer transverse arm of the other element, whereby, upon relative approach of said elements, the two shock absorbing units will be simultaneously compressed; and coperating means on said elements normally separated but adapted to contact upon full actuation of the gear to thereby limit the compression of the shock absorbing units.

3. In a tandem'gear of the character described, the combination with two elements, each of which. comprises a relatively Short longitudinally extending leg, an integral transversely extending follower-acting arm, an integral longer longitudinally extending leg laterally spaced from said short leg, and an integral transversely extending inner short arm, the inner arms of said elements being overlapped in horizontal alinement and the elements oppositely arranged, whereby a space is left between the short arms and said short legs; or' shock absorbing units, each interposed between the short arm of one member and the follower-acting arm of the other member.

4. In a railway draft rigging, the combination with draft sills having front and rear stop acting means, a draw bar and yoke acting means; oi front and rear followeracting elements, each of said elements having a pair of laterally spaced, parallel, longitudinally extending` legs, one of which is shorter than the other, and an integral transversely extending short arm at the inner end of the longer leg, said transversely extending arms being disposed one behind the other when the elements are assembled; and a spring interposed between the short arm of each element and the other element, the relatively short leg of each element being normally spaced from the transversely extending short arm of the other element and adapted to contact therewith to limit the compressionv of the mechanism.

In witness that I claim 4the foregoing I have hereunto-subscribed my name this 15th day of March, 1919.

JOHN F. OCONNOR. 

